Willys Tornado Flow Data

That's it Scott! Hard to cut a performance cam for it, or I should say you're limited somewhat in cam profile. Can't change lobe centers or anything like that and I'm sure there are more limitations on lift and duration than a standard cam. The only reason I can think of for the single lobe is it put the valves directly across from each other, but why not an offset rocker arm instead? Probably cost considerations -- the offset rocker would have to be bulkier and cost more to produce. These were made as pedestrian engines (like most!), not high performance.

I knew (or rather have read about) there were issues with oil leaks on early engines, but they were only used a couple years in the civilian line. I've also read that mechanics and potential buyers just didn't like the "exotic" nature of the engine -- especially not in something that was considered a simple work truck. They wanted something easy and simple to maintain and fix and were familiar with, not something exotic looking they knew little about. Since they had the military contract and Kaiser Jeep didn't concentrate on civilian sales like AMC did, they made the quick fix of using the AMC six for the low sales volume.

Just the valve train changed, and it proved to be reliable -- in 69 the Argentines ran three a the Nurburgring 84 hour race and they preformed wonderfully --  completed 334 laps (the most of any car!) but officially finished 4th overall due to a couple penalties... one was running part of a lap without a (required) muffler, which came off due to an accident, IIRC. There is a detailed article somewhere, can't find it now. The Nurburgring was run with the FOUR MAIN BEARING block, the seven main didn't appear until the early 70s!

Graham- Paige used continental engines modified to Graham's specifications. Kaiser Frazer was just a continuation of Graham under the Kaiser Frazer name including using the same basic Graham modified Continental engines. Kaiser Frazer has the 230 Over head cam engine in 1951 as it was test in a 1951 Jade Dragon Kaiser that still exist today. The engine just never got used until 1962 in the Kaiser (Willys) Jeep. kaiser was going to use the 230 OHC engine in there cars but got knocked out of the car business before they could do it. They seem to be hoping to use the 230 OHC six in place of a V-8 but got knocked out of the car business before they could do it and it probably would not have worked for Kaiser as every one was hot for the V-8s in the early 1950s. Kaiser Frazer did a lot of cutting edge engine work. But they did also design a conventional over head valve head for the flat head 230 CID Continental derived engine too. Money was a reason these engines never saw much use and most not the light of day. The automobile industry  is capital intensive with a low return on a very big investment.

A lot people wrongly believe the generation one AMC V-8 (250/287/327) is the Kaiser engine and this is not really true. The Kaiser 288 V-8 was conceived to be an aluminum wet sleeve V-8 engine. Very cutting edge for the early 1950s. The 230 OHC conversion head for the 230 flat head because that is what it was , did eventually make a good car engine (  IN ARGENTINA) but as a truck engine typical of most OHC engines was low on low end engine torgue which what a truck needs even if it was good on top end horse power.  I've done a lot of research on the Kaiser engine program and it is very interesting. LRDaum  

Putting 5.89 gears in the Jeep M715's (and a granny first gear!) made up for some of the lacking bottom end, and let the engine wind up even at a crawling pace.